Apple AirPods Max 2: Same Beautiful Looks, Much Bigger Brain

By Danial Martinus • 17 Mar 2026 in Gear

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You might think Apple’s newly announced AirPods Max 2 look a little too familiar. After all, they’ve got the same sculpted aluminium ear cups, the same breathable knit canopy, and the same unmistakably premium silhouette. But that’s just about where all the similarities to their predecessor end.

Calling them “same same, but different” is an oversimplification in this case, since there’s a lot more heavy lifting going on beneath that beautifully familiar shell.

The powerful upgrades are hard to ignore

The first AirPods Max released more than five years ago, meaning we’ve gone the same number of years without any real tangible improvements to Apple’s most premium (-priced) headphones.

But with AirPods Max 2, we finally get a chip upgrade with the new H2, which can also be found in the latest AirPods Pro 3. It might not seem like much, but it quietly works in the background to completely reshape your listening experience.

Active noise cancellation is now up to 1.5 times more effective than the original AirPods Max. This is great news if your commute involves public transport, or if your office is filled with loud chatter. Transparency mode also gets a quiet polish, sounding more natural and less processed.

While sound quality hasn’t exactly been reinvented so much as refined, you’ve still got cleaner output with a new high dynamic range amplifier. Spatial Audio is now sharper too with the placement of voices and instruments, making the listening experience feel more immersive.

Bass feels more controlled, mids less muddy, and highs more lifelike than before. And like the USB-C version of the original AirPods Max, there’s also support for 24-bit, 48 kHz lossless audio via USB-C. To the average user, this might not matter too much, but audiophiles will definitely appreciate it.

And speaking of audiophiles, Apple is positioning these headphones as legit studio companions, with the ability to record studio-quality audio and even mix in Personalised Spatial Audio with head tracking. Add ultra-low latency to the mix, and you’ve got a stronger case for gaming and video work too.

Other useful quality-of-life features include Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, Voice Isolation, Loud Sound Reduction, Personalised Volume, and Live Translation powered by Apple Intelligence.

One playful feature you might find useful is the ability to use the AirPods Max 2’s Digital Crown to remotely trigger your iPhone camera. And if you use Siri, you can respond to it with the shake or nod of your head.

Should existing AirPods Max users upgrade?

That depends.

If you already own the first-gen AirPods Max, the design and core identity haven’t changed. But if you care about stronger ANC, smarter quality-of-life improvements, and the creator-friendly audio features, the AirPods Max 2 are very hard to ignore.

AirPods Max 2 start from RM2,299 and come in five colours: Midnight, Starlight, Orange, Purple, and Blue.